The Lonely Psychiatrist
by iloveromance
Summary: While on an unscheduled trip to Chicago, Frasier encounters a very familiar face and receives some welcome advice from an even more unlikely source; advice that proves to be the best he's ever received. AU version of the Shake it Up Episode "Shrink it Up"
1. Chapter 1

Frasier took a deep breath, inhaling the fresh morning air. The weather here was certainly different than Seattle, with nary a cloud in sight. He couldn't remember the last time he'd seen a sky so blue.

The Windy City wasn't where he'd intended to go when he packed up his belongings and tearfully said goodbye to his family. In fact it was thousands of miles away from his original destination of the City by the Bay.

It was a hasty decision; changing his plans so abruptly and possibly jeopardizing his shot at fame and fortune. But as he'd told himself countless times since he boarded the plane, it was all in the name of love.

No one knew of his arrival in Chicago; not even Niles, Daphne, Martin or Ronee. And he suspected that his trusted agent would be just as surprised. After all it was she who persuaded him to make a new life for himself in San Francisco. Although he missed his family terribly, he was grateful for the chance to follow his heart.

But now that he was finally here, he was afraid that he'd made the wrong decision. On the plane as he'd told his unique story to the attractive passenger sitting next to him (to which she had nothing but encouraging words), he mentally planned his next move.

He'd rent a car at the airport (luxury of course), and instruct the driver to take him to the address of the woman he loved. Charlotte was bound to be so surprised to see him that she'd kiss him fervently and perhaps even shed a few tears of joy. He had no doubt that he'd be overcome with emotion upon seeing her.

He could still picture her beautiful face but he knew that his memories were nothing compared to reality. He missed her terribly; even more so than his family; for so many things were uncertain. And finally, without hesitation, he'd take her in his arms and declare his love for her. And then his life would be complete.

However, that scenario was just a dream. Actuality could prove to be entirely different. What if she rejected him? Or worse, what if she was engaged? Or married? The thought pained him and he was at a loss for what to do.

Maybe he should just go home. But as it were, he had no real home. Seattle was out of the question and San Francisco was looking less and less inviting. He loved the city of course, but he'd be miserable there without her.

So here he was, just minutes from landing at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, completely confused. It was a feeling that he'd rarely experienced or he'd always been such a confident man who helped others through their confusion and pain. And the fact that he was feeling this way bothered him to no end.

What would people think if they saw him wandering aimlessly throughout busy O'Hare? No one knew him here and the chances of someone recognizing him were sadly slim to none. But there was still a chance.

Inadvertently he reached for his cell phone and scrolled through the list of contacts. Surely there was someone he could call for advice.

And then it hit him.

Of course! Why didn't he think about it before? This was bound to be even more perfect than he had anticipated.


	2. Chapter 2

His longtime friend and Boston colleague, Dr. Adrian Stennel had left for his hometown of Chicago at almost the same time that Frasier had moved to Seattle. They had so much in common that they were practically brothers.

Of course, Frasier would never mention this to Niles. His younger brother could be sensitive when it came to mattes of family in friends. It was best to remember the friendship with Adrian in private.

But even so, he missed the closeness he and Adrian shared. They leaned on each other for support, congratulated one another through triumphs and encouraged each other through difficult times.

Now as he stared at his friend's name on the tiny cell phone screen, he had a revelation of sorts. This was the perfect time to renew their friendship. Even when Adrian and Frasier were thousands of miles apart, Adrian was never hesitant to offer some much needed advice. That advice had gotten Frasier through some very difficult times. But none seemed as difficult as this one.

Reluctantly, but enthusiastically Frasier removed Adrian's business card from his wallet and glanced at the address. If things went according to plan, he should be able to find it easily. And less than a half hour later, he found that he was right.

He stood on the sidewalk, staring at the beautiful ivy covered brick building adorned with cathedral like windows in awe. Adrian had certainly done well for himself. It couldn't hurt to pay a surprise visit. If nothing else, they could catch up on their lives and reminisce about the good old days in Boston.

With a certain burst of confidence he strolled into the building, pleased to find that it was just as beautiful on the inside. In the inviting lobby, he found the directory and scanned the list until he found Adrian's name. His friend was listed as the primary psychiatrist but underneath was what looked to be an ordinary piece of paper, upon which was written; _**Dr Pepper**__, Associate._

At once he laughed out loud. All these years later, Adrian still had a sense of humor.

Suddenly he couldn't wait to see his friend.

Wasting no time, he hurried to the elevator and pressed the call button, eager to reach the fourth floor. As he expected, his colleague's office floor was just as beautiful as the rest of the building, with its wine colored carpet and slate grey walls. Eagerly he darted toward the receptionist and inquired about his friend.

"I'm sorry. Dr Stennel isn't in today, but you're welcome to speak with his associate."

"_Associate_." Frasier replied with a chuckle. "That's very amusing. Certainly, I'd be happy to talk to Dr. Pepper."

"Who?"

"Dr. Stennel's _Associate_."

"Okay..." the receptionist said, looking completely clueless. "May I announce your arrival?"

"Actually, I'd rather you not. You see, I'm an old friend and I'd like to surprise him. Well, not old per say but-."

"I know what you mean." The receptionist said with an insincere smile.

"So may I go on?"

"Sure."

He felt a tinge of excitement as he reached for the doorknob and turned the handle. With a deep breath he walked inside and smiled brightly, speaking in his most authoritative voice.

"Dr. Pepper, may I have a word with you?"

"Sure, come in."

His eyebrows rose. That was certainly strange.

That voice... it was so familiar.

"Dr... _Pepper_? It's your old pal, Frasier Crane."

"Well, isn't this a surprise! How did I get so lucky? Of all the places in the world to run into you! I only have one wish; that my eyes were sore so that you could be a sight for them! Come here and give me a hug!"

But Frasier could only stand and stare in stunned amazement. For the face he was staring at was not that of his friend.

"BEBE GLAZER?"


	3. Chapter 3

Bebe gasped and her hand flew to her chest. "I think I've died and gone to heaven because I'm looking at an angel! Frasier Crane, what are you doing in Chicago? You're supposed to be in San Francisco!"

Frasier nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, Bebe... about that..."

She opened her arms and smiled. "Come here you big, handsome man! Give Bebe a hug!"

He was thrust into her arms, being hugged so tightly that he could hardly breathe. And when he pulled himself away, he could only stare at her in disbelief.

"Bebe, what in the hell are you doing here?"

Her eyes narrowed and she shushed him. "Not in front of the children!"

A pretty red-haired girl dressed rather peculiarly in black sparkly pants and bright pink tennis shoes stared at Bebe. "Bebe Glaser? I thought your name was Dr. Pepper!"

Frasier scoffed. "_Dr. Pepper_... Really, Bebe? A _sugary soft drink_?"

But Bebe only laughed and trailed her finger down Frasier's lapel, causing the girls' eyes to widen. "I am rather sweet, aren't I?"

"What are you doing here?" Frasier demanded. "There is no possible way that you could be Dr. Stennel's associate!"

The dark haired girl put her hands on her hips. "Wait a minute... you mean you _aren't _Gary's therapist?"

"Who's Gary?" Frasier asked.

"He's the host of _Shake it Up Chicago_." The girl explained. "AKA... _our boss_?"

"Ah, well go on... Since I have no clue what you're talking about." Frasier said. He glanced at this girl's outfit which was just as strange as the red-head's.

This young woman wore a sleeveless t-shirt torn at the collar, ripped jeans with white streaks and pink boots. Dear God! This poor girl's parents must have no money at all, letting her out in public dressed this way! And she had such a pretty face!

"Well, Dr. Pepper?" the red head snapped. "Do you want to tell us who you _really _are?"

Bebe laughed. "It's a rather amusing story."

"You're an _imposter_!" The dark haired girl yelled. "And I won't stand for it!"

Bebe handed the girl a giant boxing glove. "Well then, _let _out that anger, Rocky! Let it _all _out!"

"What is that?" Frasier asked in disbelief.

"Just a little trick I learned." Bebe explained. "Works wonders at diffusing anger."

"But Bebe, you're not a real psychiatrist!" Frasier yelled.

The room grew still and both girls stared at Bebe in horror.

"What did he say?" Rocky asked.

"Um, he said that Dr. Pepper's not really a psychiatrist!."

Rocky glared at her friend. "I know that, Cece. What I meant was... WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?"

"I'll _show_ you what it means!" Cece replied.

To Frasier's horror, Rocky and Cece began beating each other with the giant boxing gloves, yelling and screaming at one another until finally Frasier could take no more.

"STOP!" he yelled, bringing the girls to silence.

Panting and trying to catch their breath, they stared at him while Bebe merely smiled. "You're good, Frasier!"

Frasier smiled at the compliment. "Thank you, Bebe. Now Rocky, Cece...what's this all about?

Both girls began yelling at once, turning the dull ache in Frasier's head into a full blown headache.

"STOP!" He yelled again. "Now, I don't know what's going on here but I know for a fact that it can be resolved. My brother Niles and I have had hundreds of disagreements but we still love each other and frankly I haven't been away from Seattle for very long but I miss him terribly. Now, why don't we try and resolve this calmly and rationally?"

"She started it!" Rocky yelled.

"Yeah? Well she ruined my life!" Cece yelled back.

"All right, all right! Now, tell me what happened. But one at a time!" Frasier said.

"I told her a secret in the strictest confidence and what does she do? She goes and blabs it all over school!" Cece said.

"I didn't _blab_! I just... told a few people!"

"Yeah, Gunter and Tinka, the biggest mouths in school!" Cece said.

"So? What's the big deal? Nobody likes them anyway, so what's the big deal?"

To Frasier's surprise (And the surprise of Bebe and Rocky), Cece began to cry. "_What's the big deal?_ All my life... well, since the beginning of the year anyway... all I've wanted is for Blake to like me. But because of this... public humiliation, he won't even look at me anymore!"

"Hey, it was an accident!" Rocky said.

"There _are_ no accidents!" Cece yelled.

Frasier and Bebe exchanged amused glances.

"Well, how was I supposed to know that they were broadcasting everything we were talking about over the school PA system?"

Frasier cringed at the thought. "I see... Well, that _is_ a dilemma. But you two are friends, right?"

Cece folded her arms in front of her body. "We _were_."

"You're going to let a crush on a boy that you've never even spoken to ruin your friendship?"

Cece's mouth fell open. "How did you know-."

Frasier laughed. "Trust me; I know what it's like to love someone from afar. Your tongue is tied up in knots and you can barely find a way to say hello much less say '_I like you Blake. Would you like to meet after school for ice cream?_'"

Cece considered this for a moment. "Well, maybe he didn't really hear me when I tried to talk to him. I mean, I was way across the hall."

"I'm sorry, Cece. I swear I didn't know! We've been friends since we were five and we met in ballet."

"That's right." Cece said. "And if it weren't for you, I wouldn't be on Shake it Up Chicago now."

Frasier smiled with satisfaction. "And look at everything you would have missed out on."

The girls smiled and hugged each other fiercely.

"I'm sorry, Rocky."  
"I'm sorry too, Cece."

Bebe leaned back and smiled with satisfaction. "Am I good or am I good?"

"You're amazing Bebe. But what are you doing here?"

"Oh... Well, I can explain that. You see... Hey! Wait a minute! You're the big time star radio show host! You're supposed to be in San Francisco! So why are _you_ in Chicago? Believe me Frasier; you shouldn't miss this once in a lifetime opportunity to see your name in lights! Or on billboards, anyway. And I don't mean just on the city busses or the trolleys!"

Frasier smiled. "I know and I sincerely appreciate everything you've done for me. But my reason for coming to Chicago is rather personal. You see, I'm in love with someone and I... I just can't bring myself to tell her. The funny thing is that I came here looking for my friend Dr. Adrian Stennel for some much needed advice. I simply don't know what to do. And if I make the wrong decision, I'm going to lose her forever."

Cece walked up to Frasier and put her arm around him, surprising him with the gesture.

"Don't worry, Frasier. Rocky and I will give you all the advice you need."


End file.
